Watersmart

Auckland water bills are going up 7.2% on 1 July. For developers, the Infrastructure Growth Charge is rising 20%. And this is not a one-off, further increases are signalled for 2026 and 2027.

Watercare is investing $13.8 billion over the next decade to improve and expand Auckland's water and wastewater infrastructure. That investment is necessary. But the cost is being passed directly to households and developers, and it is only going one direction.

For developers specifically, the IGC is a one-off fee paid when a new development connects to the network. In metropolitan Auckland that sits at $3,913.33 per development unit equivalent, and that is before any bespoke upgrade costs when existing pipes or treatment plants cannot handle the additional load.

There is a smarter way to think about this. Every litre of water harvested on-site from rainfall is a litre that does not need to come from the Watercare network. Every litre recycled within a building through a system, like , is a litre that does not go back to the wastewater network for treatment. And every development that manages stormwater on-site through or is reducing the peak demand on infrastructure that developers are now paying more than ever to connect to.

On-site water management is not just an environmental decision anymore. With connection costs and usage charges rising year on year, it is increasingly a financial one.

Talk to the Watersmart team about what that looks like on your next project. 💧

🔗 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/watercare-bills-to-jump-next-month-as-aucklanders-face-another-cost-hike/XSKPG5VR3RAKTFASKOYIP45O2Y/

Your fence is doing one job. FenceTank does two.

At just 410mm deep, FenceTank is one of the narrowest above-ground rainwater tanks available in New Zealand. It sits flush against the fence line, stores 1,000 litres per unit, and as you can see here, five tanks joined together deliver 5,000 litres of on-site water storage without sacrificing a single square metre of usable space.

For those working with high-density or tight urban sites, that is the difference between a stormwater solution that works with your design and one that fights it.

✅ 410mm depth fits flush to any fence line
✅ 1,000L per unit, fully modular and scalable
✅ No concrete base required on good ground
✅ Food-grade, UV-resistant Rotathene tank grade plastic
✅ 10 year warranty
✅ Colours matched to the COLOURSTEEL range

🔗Find out more at watersmart.co.nz/fencetank or get in touch with the team. 💧

Not all stormwater systems are created equal, and when it comes to building compliance, the difference matters.

Aquacomb is BRANZ appraised, giving specifiers greater confidence that the system has been independently assessed for use within the New Zealand building environment.

When specifying stormwater detention infrastructure, independent verification matters. Especially when performance, durability, and consenting confidence are critical to project delivery.

Specify with confidence. Talk to the Watersmart team to learn more about Aquacomb. 💧

Get in touch:
[email protected]
📞 0800 11 08 08